Watkins & Eager PLLC proudly announces that Briana O'Neil has become a member of the firm, effective January 1, 2026. Briana was admitted to the Mississippi Bar and joined the firm in 2018. Her practice focuses on products liability litigation, medical malpractice, general commercial litigation, insurance defense, and white collar criminal defense.
Briana attended the University of Mississippi, where she received a B.A., magna cum laude, in Public Policy Leadership in May 2015. While at the University of Mississippi, she was inducted as a member of the Student Hall of Fame. In 2018, Briana received her J.D. degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. During law school, she served as Notes and Comments Editor for the Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law and was a member of the Wake Forest BLSA Mock Trial Team.
Briana's professional activities include service as a member of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) of the American Bar Association, participation in the Toyota Counsel in Motion program, membership in the Jackson Young Lawyers Association, active involvement with The Mississippi Bar and the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar (Board of Directors, 2022–2024), and engagement with the Defense Research Institute. She recently served as Chair of the Mississippi Bar YLD High School Mock Trial Competition.
Briana has been recognized for both her professional accomplishments and her commitment to public service. At the Mississippi Bar Foundation's Annual Meeting and Dinner held on July 9, 2025, in Sandestin, Florida, she received the Foundation's 2025 Law-Related Public Education Award, which honors her dedication and efforts to enhance the public's understanding of the law and the legal system. She has also been named to the University of Mississippi Alumni Association's 40 Under 40 Class of 2026, a distinction that celebrates the personal, professional, and philanthropic achievements of outstanding Ole Miss graduates under the age of 40. Recipients were recognized at a ceremony on March 27, 2026.